We’ll spare you the elbow-in-ribs jokes—for now—and get right to the point: Research recently published in the further dispels the idea that you should refrain from sex the night before a race Mental vs. muscle fatigue: How are they different.
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In a study conducted at California State University, San Marcos, researchers had 12 men do tests of leg muscle strength on two occasions: once after having had sex in the previous 12 hours, and once after having abstained from sex in the previous 12 hours. Whether the subjects’ recent past included coupling didn’t matter. Their peak and average performance in a five-set series of knee extension and knee flexion exercises didn’t differ between the sex and no-sex trials.
Heres more evidence to suggest pre-race sex doesnt hurt your running performance
This study adds to a small but consistent body of research showing that having sex doesn’t impair your athletic performance later. More than two decades ago, a small study found no effect from having sex 12 hours before a hard treadmill test compared to abstaining before the test. Similarly, most common running-related foot injuries and a test of mental concentration, regardless of whether they’d had sex that day or not.
Finally, a Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network found no difference in relative performance (i.e., how well the runners did compared to their usual result) between those who did and those who didn’t have sex within 48 hours of the marathon.
Legendary baseball manager Casey Stengel supposedly said, “The trouble is not that players have sex the night before a game. It’s that they stay out all night looking for it.”
Assuming you’re in a committed relationship, even the pursuit shouldn’t tire you out. The best prerace advice remains to follow a routine you know works for you.
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Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Health & Injuries, Advanced Marathoning, and most common running-related foot injuries. Best wireless headphones Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
